Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 3 Review | Oneiric Ocelot

Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 3 Oneiric Ocelot development release is out and available to download, check release notes, download options and what’s new in Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 3 Here.

With each release of Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot coming out we see a highly impressive development work most of it discussed at Ubuntu UDS from Ubuntu developers and community members that could make the final release of Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot is one of the best distribution will be available at the moment.

As we have seen in the release notes for Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot Alpha 3 it comes with many improvements and many bugfixes along with new features added to Unity User interface like the new application switcher with better looking interface than the default applications switcher.

Kernel has been updated to version 3.0.0-7.9 which based on Kernel 3.0-3.4 comes with some improvements to Oneiric Ocelot Alpha 3 release:

Adopted a 3 digit kernel version, eg 3.0.0-x.y.

Rebase to upstream v3.0 final kernel.

Enable Overlayfs.

Enable Realtek RTL8192CU/RTL8188CU wifi driver.

Enable support for rt53xx wireless chipset family.

Enable Intellimouse mode for Lenovo Zhaoyang E47.

Numerous config updates.

Gwibber has a new look with minimal user interface to easily switch between currently connected social network websites and pretty good animated sliding effect when you move between home, messages, mentioned tabs. Gwibber has been updated to version 3.1.4 and ported to GTK3 which taken advantage of new graphical user interface.

Lightdm or known as unity greeter replaced GDM display manager in Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 3, lightdm is ported to GTK3 as well. Few days ago before Oneiric Ocelot Alpha 3 release announcement we had a quick look at the new Lightdm at Ubuntu 11.10 development release, check the lightdm video preview and screenshotsHere.

Gnome has been updated to version 3.1.4 along with Gnome application updated to version 3.1.4 ” Nautilus file manager, Gwibber social network client, gedit text editor, …etc “. Ubuntu 11.10 Final release will come with the last stable release of Gnome 3.2. Also now Mozilla products updated as well, Mozilla Firefox 6 web browser and Mozilla Thunderbird 6 mailing client.

Old Alt+Tab applications switcher become Ctrl+Tab, we usually use alt+tab or super+tab to switch between currently running applications and windows, with Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 3 Oneiric Ocelot Alpha 3 it comes with new slick animated applications switcher looks pretty good to switch between all applications running in all workspaces unlike the old switcher which only switch between running applications in currently used work space. Also it’s totally up to you to change application switcher keys using CCSM compiz config settings manager.

Improved Grid plugin in CCSM to easily warp, resize or tile windows in your desktop according to your usage.

No more Me Menu as we used to see in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal, now status menu along with Gwibber social network application and empathy chat client included in the messaging menu.

Ubuntu software Center updated to version 4.1.11 comes with new top rated applications category added to main category page and subcategories pages for different applications departments.

Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 3 Oneiric Ocelot Review conclusion

After using Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 3 Oneiric Ocelot for couple days, the new enhancements and new features added lately to Oneiric Ocelot Alpha 3 are really impressive. Also it come with better Ubuntu user experience for daily usage because of the new improvements to Unity user interface. According to GTK3 integration it become really promising for upcoming graphical user interface for many applications will have significant look and many changes in the final release like the new Gwibber and Ubuntu software center which we hoping it could be ready for the final release. Even it still alpha version it’s quite close to a stable and I barely had crashes till now! just few compiz crashes.

When do you “elite users” figure out that there are users who just want to use the system, not configure it? Plain Debian was horrible when I tried it some time ago. And Gnome 2 will soon be dropped from ALL distros. It’s obsolete.

it seems a good release, but also 11.04 at alpha stage was good, but hte final step was not so promising… i think that neither gnome 3 or unity are mature projects for desktop production, if there is a loss of productivity in hte change, the old interface has more functionality, so it is more difficult to adopt the new… i expect gnome 3.0 to mature, in hte meantime, i use kde or xcfe, as linux torvalds says, enven if i use pc for different purposes than him.